Real People: Smith marks 25 years serving seniors, community

Published: Sunday, March 9, 2014 at 03:22 PM.

For the past 25 years, Jane Smith has strived to improve the quality of life for seniors and others through programs and activities made available at Burlington Recreation and Parks.

Smith came to work for the city Feb. 13, 1989, at the
Burlington
Senior
Center
on
Broad Street
as the center’s director. She made the move to the
John
Robert
Kernodle
Senior
Activities
Center
in July 1999, when it first opened at
Mebane St
reet
.

Currently, she serves as the Burlington Recreation and Parks community centers supervisor and senior adult activities supervisor. She provides oversight to five community centers in
Burlington
.

Smith is a McLeansville native who graduated from
Northeast
Guilford
High School
in 1973 and from
Greensboro
College
in 1977, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in recreation.

Before joining Burlington Recreation and Parks, Smith worked 12 years for
Gibsonville
Parks
and Recreation as its recreation director. It’s where she first met Torry and Terrence Holt, who are Gibsonville natives.

Smith said when Torry Holt was 6 years old, he knew that he wanted to become a professional athlete. His first love was basketball, but he ended up making his mark as a professional football player with the National Football League.

The Holt brothers attended N.C. State
University
and were later drafted into the NFL, with Torry Holt drafted in 1999 to the St. Louis Rams, and Terrence Holt drafted in 2003 to the Detroit Lions.

For the past 25 years, Jane Smith has strived to improve the quality of life for seniors and others through programs and activities made available at Burlington Recreation and Parks.

Smith came to work for the city Feb. 13, 1989, at the BurlingtonSeniorCenter on Broad Street as the center’s director. She made the move to the JohnRobertKernodleSeniorActivitiesCenter in July 1999, when it first opened at Mebane Street.

Currently, she serves as the Burlington Recreation and Parks community centers supervisor and senior adult activities supervisor. She provides oversight to five community centers in Burlington.

Smith is a McLeansville native who graduated from NortheastGuilfordHigh School in 1973 and from GreensboroCollege in 1977, where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in recreation.

Before joining Burlington Recreation and Parks, Smith worked 12 years for GibsonvilleParks and Recreation as its recreation director. It’s where she first met Torry and Terrence Holt, who are Gibsonville natives.

Smith said when Torry Holt was 6 years old, he knew that he wanted to become a professional athlete. His first love was basketball, but he ended up making his mark as a professional football player with the National Football League.

The Holt brothers attended N.C. State University and were later drafted into the NFL, with Torry Holt drafted in 1999 to the St. Louis Rams, and Terrence Holt drafted in 2003 to the Detroit Lions.

Smith said she followed the Holts’ professional careers and was invited last year to attend Torry Holt’s induction into the NCSU Hall of Fame, which she attended.

“He never forgets where he came from,” Smith said. “I am so proud of him and his brother.”

Smith said she’s met a lot of interesting people through her line of work and is proud to work for Burlington.

“The city of Burlington is a wonderful place to work,” she said. “The community centers are very progressive and try to fill the needs of everyone and give some kind of recreation to seniors and to children of all ages.”

The KernodleSeniorCenter recently began offering a hiking program to seniors. Smith said the program includes hikes along the Haw River Trail. Some of the hikers who participate are in their 80s.

Another program recently offered at the center was autoharp classes. Smith said the classes have proved be popular with seniors, and a choir was later developed from the classes.

“People are people, and it doesn’t matter what age they are, I found out,” Smith said. “The older generation has a lot of experience, and you can learn something from them if you just listen.”

For more information about the programs and activities at the KernodleSenior Center, 1535 S. Mebane St., call 336-222-5135.

Know someone who should be profiled in a Real People story? Call city editor Tom Jones at 506-3040 or contact him by email at tjones@thetimesnews.com.